This article provides an overview of N-color printing and explains what is the Custom Inkset in CalderaRIP.
What is N-Color?
The term "N-Color" refers to a color profiling technology that allows for the creation of color profiles with a variable number of colors, rather than the traditional 3-color (CMY) or 4-color (CMYK) models.
X-Rite's ProfileMaker software, which was introduced in the late 1990s and is now discontinued and replaced with i1Profiler, was one of the first products to support N-Color profiling. ProfileMaker allowed users to create color profiles with a variable number of colors, which enabled more accurate color reproduction, especially for devices with more than 4 colors, such as 6-color or 7-color printers.
Custom Inkset (N-Color in CalderaRIP)
With Custom Inkset (or Custom Ink Order), you are free to create and manage your own ink configurations from scratch. Insert your cartridges, and choose which ones will be used in the mixes (process inks) and which ones will be handled separately (spot inks).
Prerequisites
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A valid and up-to-date license.
Good to know
You can verify your license details in CalderaDock. Learn more.
- CalderaRIP installed.
- A printer that supports more than a 4-ink set.
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A Caldera printer driver compatible with Custom Inksets must be installed.
Good to know
You can verify compatibility in the technote for your printer driver, available here.
Info
Custom Inkset has been included in all subscription and perpetual licenses since November 2025. Partners and resellers should refer to the business information available here, while end users can find more details on this website.
If you hold a perpetual license obtained prior to this date and attempt to use a printer driver with NColors without the necessary option added to your license, you will encounter the error message: "No Key for NCOLOR Printing (001f0003)". In this case, please contact our sales team for further assistance.
How to add a Custom Inkset?
Please refer to the dedicated article.